Disparities in economic opportunity for North Carolina’s workers have persisted for generations, including the last few decades when the state’s economy transformed away from manufacturing employment and toward service employment. These disparities have grown since the Great Recession, according to a newly released State of Working North Carolina report. Although the downturn’s economic pain was pervasive, it was not spread evenly throughout the state. The new report shows that some communities and regions were harder hit than others and continue to struggle with high unemployment and few opportunities for growth.

There are multiple storylines to this “tale of two economies” reality. One is the rural and urban divide. Read More